Mecinus reichei Tournier, 1873

Caldara, Roberto & Fogato, Valter, 2013, Systematics of the weevil genus <i> Mecinus </ i> Germar, 1821 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). I. Taxonomic treatment of the species, Zootaxa 3654 (1), pp. 1-105 : 47-48

25. Mecinus reichei Tournier

Figs 23 , 64 , 125 , 147 , 163

Mecinus reichei Tournier, 1873: 85 ; 1874: 43. Fairmaire, 1880: 27. Reitter, 1907: 15.

Type locality. Boghari ( Algeria).

Type series. This species was described from one male and one female collected in Algeria without more precise indications. We examined the male ( MNHN) labelled “Boghari, Algérie / 1 ♀ [in] coll. Reiche / type / Type” (lectotype here designated) .

Redescription. Male. Length 2.6 mm. Body: long, subcylindrical, moderately slender ( Fig. 23 ). Rostrum: reddish, moderately long (Rl/Pl 0.82), subcylindrical; in lateral view weakly curved, weakly narrowed at apex (as in M. tychioides , fig. 54); in dorsal view with subparallel sides, with hardly visible scrobes, moderately striatepunctured to apex, in basal three quarters with subrecumbent to suberect, somewhat dense, whitish and light brown, long (l/w 6–8), seta-like scales. Head: frons weakly narrower than rostrum at base, without fovea; eyes flat. Antennae: reddish, inserted at middle of rostrum; scape moderately long, 5.0x longer than wide; funicle slightly longer than scape, segment 1 3.0x longer than wide, slightly stouter and 1.5x longer than segment 2, which is twice as long as wide, segments 3 and 4 about as long as wide, segment 5 transverse; club moderately long, oval, segment 1 almost glabrous. Pronotum: reddish, irregularly punctured, intervals between punctures opaque, smooth, partly slightly wider than punctures, moderately visible between recumbent to subrecumbent, somewhat dense, white and light brown, long to very long (l/w 8–14), seta-like scales, white scales denser at sides where forming a distinct vitta; weakly transverse (Pw/Pl 1.16), with moderately rounded sides, widest just before middle, with moderately prominent apical constriction, weakly convex. Elytra: reddish; long (El/Ew 1.60), subrectangular, at base moderately concave, somewhat wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.33), with subparallel sides, weakly convex on disc; interstriae hardly visible between recumbent to suberect (especially at apex), somewhat dense, white and light brown, long to very long (1.0–1.5x as long as width of interstria; l/w 8–14), seta-like scales, which are confusedly arranged in various irregular rows, white scales more numerous along interstria 1 and sides; striae hardly visible, as wide as half of interstria, with a row of scales similar to those covering interstriae. Legs: moderately slender, with recumbent to suberect, moderately dense, whitish, seta-like scales, which are slightly shorter than width of tibia; femora reddish, with small tooth; tibiae reddish, moderately slender; protibiae with apical part of ventral surface weakly directed outward; unci blackish, moderately stout, all equal in length; tarsi reddish, tarsomere 1 twice as long as wide, tarsomere 2 1.2x longer than wide, tarsomere 3 bilobed and moderately wider than tarsomere 2, onychium slightly longer than tarsomeres 1–3 taken together; claws black, equal in length, fused in basal half. Venter: metasternum reddish, clearly visible between recumbent to subrecumbent, sparse, whitish, long, hair-like scales; mesothoracic epimera and meso- and metathoracic episterna covered with somewhat dense, whitish, long, seta-like scales; abdomen reddish, with moderately dense and regular punctures, with intervals between punctures wider than punctures, which are clearly visible between recumbent to subrecumbent, sparse, whitish, long, hair-like scales; ventrites length ratio 1–2/3–4 2,05. Penis: fig. 125.

Female. As in male except rostrum distinctly longer (Rl/Pl 1.15), cylindrical, in lateral view slightly more curved ( Fig. 64 ), antennae inserted just before middle of rostrum. Sternite 8: fig. 147. Spermatheca: fig. 163.

Variability. Length 2.0– 2.9 mm, average 2.6 mm. Sometimes the curvature of the sides and the convexity of the pronotum are slightly more pronounced than as described above.

Remarks and comparative notes. This species is usually labelled as M. longulus in museum collections. Superficially, M. reichei seems similar to species of Tychius Germar, 1817 with long, rectangular elytra that are almost flattened on the disc and with brownish dorsal vestiture with white vittae on interstria 1 and at the sides. Due to these features, M. reichei is easily distinguishable from other species of Mecinus , although small specimens show feeble similarities with M. paratychioides , which is, however, a species characterized by the unusual shape of the antennal club and tarsomere 3 being as wide as tarsomere 2. It also differs from M. tychioides , which has shorter elytra with sparser vestiture

Biological notes. One specimen collected near Aín Sefra is reported to have emerged from Launaea arborescens (Batt.) Murb. (Sama det.), which is a plant belonging to the Asteraceae , a family which has never been reported as a host of other species of Mecinus . Therefore this datum needs confirmation.

Distribution. Southern Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia.

Non-type specimens examined. SPAIN: Andalucía, Malaga , 12.IV.1990, Keyval leg. (1, JSCP) . MOROCCO: Antiatlas, Bou Tzakan , Curletti leg. (1, GOCA) ; El Haraig , X.1950, Pardo Alcade leg. (3, MNHN) ; Marrakech , 4.VI.1985, Magnani leg. (1, GOCA) ; 23 km N Marrakech , 4.VI.1985, Sama leg. (1, GOCA) ; Ouarzazate, Tizi n' Bachkou , 1700 m, 14.VI.1986, Sama & Magnani legg. (1, GOCA) ; Tarhazoute , 14.V.2009, Behne leg. (1, DEIM) ; Tiznit , 16 km W Aglou, 29.XII.2000, Messutat leg. (1, JMCS) ; Tiznit Barrage Youssef ben Tachfine , 20.V.2001, Borovec leg. (2, RBCS) . ALGERIA: Béchar, 3.V.1987, Sama leg. (3, GOCA) ; Béchar, Merires , 8.VI.1986, Magnani leg. (1, GOCA) ; Biskra, V.1886 (1, MNHN) ; Naâma, Aín Sefra 28 km S, ex larva emerged from Launaea arborescens , V.1988, Sama leg. (1, FTCM) ; Naâma, Dra-Es-Sâa, 900 m, 2.IV.1988, Colonnelli leg. (2, ECCR) ; Oran, Lepitre leg. (1, MNHN) ; Tlemcen, Remchi N, 9 km Oued Tafna , 14.V. 1986, Rozner leg. (1, APCB) . TUNISIA: El Haouareb , 36 km SW Kairouan, 3.V.1998, Borovec leg. (2, RBCS) .

Figures

FIGURES 19–27. Habitus of (19) Mecinus henrici; (20) M. elongatus; (21) M. alternans; (22) M. tanaiticus; (23) M. reichei; (24) M. humeralis; (25) M. circulatus; (26) M. suturalis; (27) M. pyraster. Not to the same scale.

FIGURES 58–68. Rostrum in lateral view of (58) Mecinus alboscutellatus alboscutellatus; (59) idem, female; (60) M. paratychioides, male; (61) M. linnavuori, male; (62) M. desertorum, male; (63) M. henrici, male; (64) M. reichei, female; (65) M. marina, male; (66) idem, female; (67) M. elongatus; (68) idem, female. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 121–132. Penis in dorsal and lateral view of (121) Mecinus desertorum; (122) M. marina; (123) M. henrici; (124) M. alternans; (125) M. reichei; (126) M. tanaiticus; (127) M. circulatus; (128) M. humeralis; (129) M. pyraster; (130) M. comosus; (131) M. simus; (132) M. pirazzolii. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 144–156. Sternite 8 of (144) Mecinus pascuorum; (145) M. caucasicus; (146) M. marina; (147) M. reichei; (148) M. humeralis; (149) M. circulatus; (150) M. pyraster; (151) M. simus; (152) M. collaris; (153) M. janthinus; (154) M. lixoides; (155) M. sicardi; (156) M. heydenii. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 157–171. Spermatheca of (157) Mecinus pascuorum; (158) M. caucasicus; (159) M. haemorrhoidalis; (160) M. labilis; (161) M. marina; (162) M. elongatus; (163) M. reichei; (164) M. circulatus; (165) M. pyraster; (166) M. simus; (167) M. comosus; (168) M. lixoides; (169) M. janthinus; (170) M. heydenii; (171) M. collaris. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.